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Traditional Greek Fava

October 21, 2012 12
creamy, velvety traditional Greek fava

creamy, velvety traditional Greek fava

 Breaking news for all you Greek vegans – hummus is not Greek! No matter how many Greek restaurants in the US  feature hummus on their menus, I am here to tell you it is almost NEVER served in restaurants or homes in Greece. Instead, authentic Greek restaurants and families enjoy a traditional, so delicious spread made from yellow split peas called fava (not to be confused with fava the bean).

Think of fava as hummus on steroids, both in taste and nutrition. Fava can be served smooth or chunky depending on your taste. It has a bit of a peppery bite from Continue Reading →

Baked Figs

September 15, 2012 1

 

baked figs with pistachios

A fresh, ripe fig warm from the sun is one of the most delicious things you will ever taste – seriously, put this one on your bucket list! As I live in the Northeast US, the local fig season is short and figs shipped in from other states are good but not the same.This traditional, simple, quick recipe takes good figs and makes them great.

A hot oven, a little orange juice, lemon peel and a bit of honey (or agave) and you’re good to go. I will concede this isn’t the most challenging bake you’ll ever make. But I have looked into the BakeryClasses.in recommended professional baking courses in order to allow me to attempt even more complicated bakes I often make these for breakfast on a lazy Saturday with sliced almonds on top. They also make a beautiful, light dessert at fancy dinners. However, whenever you choose to indulge, these sticky sweet gems of pink velvety goodness will not disappoint!

Continue Reading →

Quick Kritsinia (Sesame Bread Sticks)

August 17, 2012 3

kritsinia sesame bread sticks

You’ll find these crunchy sesame bread sticks wherever you go in Greece. With dozens of varieties to suit every taste, some are sweet, some savory and made with everything from honey and cinnamon to zucchini. Kritsinia are delicious with coffee for breakfast or snack and are a perfect side to any lunch or dinner.

This recipe makes about 2 1/2 dozen and uses store made bread dough. Sea salt, olive oil and sesame seeds dress up the basic dough and give you a positively addictive Continue Reading →

Wheat Berry Pudding / Varvara

August 11, 2012 2

wheat berry pudding

I’ve always eaten this dish for breakfast. We jokingly called it Greek oatmeal and it’s still one of my favorites today! Then one day a few years back, I came across it served as dessert in a little village on the island of Chios. The clouds parted, the sun shone, angels sang – I could enjoy this sweet, creamy, nutty pudding any time of day, hooray!

Served warm from the stove with golden raisins mixed in, wheat berry pudding is a fantastic way to start the day. Served at room temp as dessert, appetizer or even lunch with your favorite fruits and nuts Continue Reading →

Fried Sweet Green Peppers

August 6, 2012 2

fried sweet green peppers

You’ll find this super simple, incredibly tasty meze (or appetizer) everywhere in Greece. These sweet green peppers fried up to a tender, mouth watering state of delicious will fill your kitchen with the most amazing aromas. Honestly, that’s something I look forward to every time I make these!

Pair them with a glass of dry white wine and a big piece of crusty bread for lunch or light dinner. You’ll find that, out of the pan or room temperature, fried sweet green peppers Continue Reading →

Barley Salad

August 2, 2012 0

Barley Salad

Light, lemony and so satisfying with layers of textures and flavors, this will be your favorite way to enjoy barley!

I’ve always loved this dish but never as much as when I found it on the chalkboard menu outside a little restaurant in the town of Edipsos on the island of Evvia. A heaping scoop of barley salad sitting in a big piece of sweet red watermelon – brilliant! The combination of tastes is just so perfect together. Ever since, when Continue Reading →

Greek Salad Dressing

July 25, 2012 6

authentic, delicious Greek vegan salad dressing

This is my favorite Greek vegan dressing, hands down. There is a secret ingredient and I’m going to share it with you. It gives a zest and zing to the flavors that will have you licking your fingers with joy.

The secret ingredient is mustard powder! You don’t taste mustard, it just amps up all the other ingredients giving you Continue Reading →

Eggplant Tiganites (Fried Eggplant)

July 19, 2012 5

eggplnt pltes 1This recipe is one of the earliest memories I have of cooking. Sprinkling salt on the eggplant slices and watching them ‘sweat’ out their bitterness fascinated me to no end. It was a simple but important job and one I took very seriously – isn’t it funny the things you remember? Eggplant tiganites are a staple menu item and often served as appetizers, or meze, in Greece. My favorite is to layer them between two pieces of bread for lunch. They’re wonderful anytime really!

The secret to this recipe – the simple batter coating that turns to a delicious golden crisp and protects the tender eggplant from becoming greasy. The result is melt-in-your mouth amazing. Probably not something often said about the unassuming Continue Reading →

Oven Baked Apples (μήλα ψητά στο φούρνο)

July 17, 2012 0
oven baked apples with almonds and golden raisins

oven baked apples with almonds and golden raisins

Recently I got my oven replaced recently after it had malfunctioned and stopped cooking things! I was able to do this because of my home warranty plan, which is similar to that of the warranty that First American Home Warranty provides. So, I thought I would make my favorite oven dish in my brand new oven to welcome it into the kitchen. Oven baked apples are one of the simplest, most naturally delicious dishes you’ll ever come across. We often ate this dish for breakfast as children. Now I enjoy baked apples more as a dessert sprinkled with cinnamon. Whenever you serve them, these baked apples will be gobbled up as soon as they hit the table!

This dish is a specialty of northern Greece with its beautiful orchards and you’ll find many different versions in Greek Continue Reading →

Wilted Beet Greens

July 16, 2012 0

I love to buy beets with the big, leafy greens still attached. It makes me feel as if I’ve just pulled them from the ground myself! Beet greens have a sweet and mild flavor that’s preserved when you wilt instead of boil them.

wilted beet greens

These delicate greens are delicious served hot or room temperature and the only additional flavors I use are salt, pepper and garlic. You can garnish with chopped Continue Reading →

Roasted Fava Beans

July 14, 2012 1

Favas are the un-bean bean. Roasted in a hot oven or on the grill, fava beans taste like – tiny little baked potatoes! Kid you not, the creamy texture and taste of a roasted fava bean will fool you every time. I’ve grown up eating fava beans in soups and spreads but never had them roasted until I tried them in Greece one summer.

whole roasted fava beans

In the summertime, you’ll find outdoor grills selling corn on the cob everywhere in Greece. One afternoon I noticed a bunch of long green pods on the grill. I asked about them and was told they were favas. The pods were slippery with olive oil and covered in salt which I found odd as I wasn’t going to eat the shell. As I shucked a few pods and popped the beans into my mouth, it made sense. Continue Reading →

Glazed Roasted Beets with Rice

July 11, 2012 0

My Yiayia Mary loved beets. Her grandchildren did not. So she always made us beets lightly glazed with honey (can be switched out with agave nectar!) and garlic. For years I thought that this was a variation of her own instead of a village recipe as Yiayia told us. To my complete surprise one summer in Greece, I found this dish on the menu of a small beach side cafe in Kalamata!

glazed beet over rice #nofilter #nojoke

The glaze is light and not sticky sweet. Equal parts honey or agave nectar and orange juice, crushed garlic cloves add just the right bridge between the earthy beets and sweet syrup. By allowing the roasted beets to simmer in the glaze, the flavors come Continue Reading →

Greek Green Beans / Fasolakia

July 10, 2012 44
Greek green beans

Greek green beans / fasolakia

I visited a friends house after school once and her mom asked if I liked green beans, she was serving them with dinner. I said, yes I loved them! Well, that was before I sat down to eat a side of soggy, grey-green canned beans. Yuk! Green beans to me were soft and tender and swimming in tomato, garlic and olive oil.

You’ll be surprised how simple these are to prepare and how melt in your mouth delicious they are. This recipe is based on 2 lbs of green beans and can easily be doubled or tripled with perfect results. Make sure to have Continue Reading →

6 Week Meal Plan

July 4, 2012 0

TGV 6 Week Meal Plan, 2018

Quick and easy to join, you’ll receive all

6 weekly meal plans

right to your inbox for just $9.99 – that’s

less than $2 a week because your first week is FREE!

Join Now!

Each weekly email includes 18+ recipes consisting of:

  • 4 days of breakfasts/lunches/dinners
  • 3 sweets
  • 3 snacks
  • bonus menu items

You get PLENTY of delicious food options, I promise!, as well as quick, grab and go breakfasts and great take-to-work/school recommendations too! You can do this 🙂

Join Now!

You’ll automatically receive your first (FREE!) meal plan about a half hour after you sign up!  Then, a new and delicious meal plan will be delivered to your inbox every week for the next five weeks so you can get cooking immediately!

Join Now!

And each weekly email is full of practical, time-saving tips like
  • make ahead suggestions
  • cook together recommendatons
  • frozen or canned substitutions
  • coordinated menu ingredients
Because we all have that super busy weeknight when taking dinner from fridge to table is a lifesaver!
Because quicker prep means faster to the table!
Because you want to get in and out of the grocery store!
Because we all want to cut down on food waste!

BONUS!!! Because you will receive your weekly meal plans in emails, you’ll be able to quickly reference them all well after the six weeks have ended!
Six weeks of meal plans can easily turn into months of meal planning help 🙂

This meal plan is for everyone! All of our authentic, traditional Greek vegan recipes contain detailed instructions for both the home cook with less experience and modification options for those who might be more advanced. Create home-cooked, healthy food you’ll love to eat. Vegan or non, these are dishes everyone will enjoy! 

Squash Pitas

June 30, 2012 5
perfect golden color

squash pita

I couldn’t wait to find this pie in my lunchbox!  In Greece, pitas or pies can come in all shapes and sizes and can be filled with so many tasty things.  This recipe calls for orange squash and rice – a delicious, nutritious way to eat Greek vegan on the go.

These are made with a batter dough and can be baked in muffin pans for single serving portions or Continue Reading →

Toasted Chickpeas (Stragalia/Στραγάλια)

June 12, 2012 6

stragalia / traditional toasted chickpeas

Stragalia were one of my favorite snacks growing up and a particular favorite of my great grandmother Stella. All toasted and crunchy, salty and savory with sweet golden raisins and boukovo chili flakes – I still eat these traditional toasted chickpeas by the handful!

Stragalia (στραγάλια)  are a delicious, very healthy, totally addictive snack that are so simple to make and a fantastic on-the-go option for work or school too!  With coriander and fennel seeds, fresh ground black pepper, salt and garlic, this recipe is the perfect combination of traditional Greek spices. The secret to getting crunchy, nutty good bites every time? A very hot Continue Reading →

Potatoes and Peas (πατάτες με aρακάς )

June 11, 2012 5
potatoes and peas

potatoes and peas

A traditional favorite year round, Greek potatoes and peas is a satisfying, flavorful dish equally delicious served hot on a winter evening and at room temperature on a summer afternoon.

I like to use red potatoes because they cook quickly and evenly. I also peel the potatoes in this recipe. The peels, though nutritious, take away from the overall meal for my taste but the choice is yours! Either way, you will  Continue Reading →

Roasted Red Peppers

June 3, 2012 0

Roasted red peppers are delicious in salads, flavored oils, dips and  sauces or perfect all on their own with a piece of crusty bread. The method I recommend here is to roast your red peppers in the oven at high heat.

roasted red peppers

Much simpler than broiling whole peppers or holding them over an open flame, this method leaves peppers easier to seed and peel. And I guarantee you’ll notice an even more intense roasted pepper flavor from Continue Reading →

Basil and Roasted Garlic Spread

May 31, 2012 0

 

fresh basil and roasted garlic spread

Creamy, yummy, buttery good and positively delicious on everything – have I sold you on this spread yet? I make a double or triple batch and spread on veggies, sandwiches, bread sticks, crusty bread. It’s just that good.

Using fresh basil leaves gives this recipe such a bright flavor. When you combine that with the creamy, nutty goodness of the roasted garlic you have a match made in heaven. Bonus – with the fresh, Continue Reading →

Bouquet Garni a la Grecque

May 30, 2012 0

When a recipe for soup, sauce or stew calls for a bunch of different herbs, this is a quick and easy way handle the job.  Simply bundle your choice of fresh or dried herbs and spices into a piece of cheesecloth, tie with a string and add to your recipe.

bouquet garni

Once your dish is done, pull out the bundle and discard. No need to carefully strain the ingredients to make sure every last twig and leaf is out and no worries that a stray coriander seeds or peppercorn will cause Continue Reading →

Mint Tea

May 22, 2012 0

The garden is filled with mint already – time for fresh mint tea! In Greece, mint tea is usually used as a folk remedy for stomach aches. Certainly that’s how I knew it growing up. I think it’s too good to save only for times when you’re under the weather and I brew it up year-round. I often sometimes opt for other types of tea to alternate the flavors and health benefits I experience, for instance, you could try adding mint to a tea blend like this Kumari Gold or similar products. Experimentation with tea can sometimes bring you to some incredible flavors.

fresh mint tea

For an authentic experience, have your tea in a small glass the way it’s served in many places throughout Greece. You can add sugar, honey or lemon. I happen to like Continue Reading →

Loukoumi (Turkish Delight)

May 7, 2012 1

Loukoumi is a jelly like candy traditionally flavored with rose or mastic- rose is my favorite flavor! Originally a Turkish confection, it’s been adopted by Greeks as their own. You can find varieties with mixed nuts, almonds or pistachios but I’ve always been told those are more Turkish recipes than Greek.

Rose Loukoumi

You’ll find loukoumi everywhere in Greece where it’s offered to guests as a sweet treat. And loukoumi is SUPER sweet – basically 99.9% sugar dusted in powdered sugar – and usually served with a glass of water on the side. Don’t forget Continue Reading →

Roasted Beets

May 7, 2012 5

Beets are a hit or miss kind of thing with most people. I really believe this is because they’ve only had canned or boiled beets. Roasted beets are another story entirely. Roasting brings out a sweetness that balances the strong earthy taste of beets in the most delicious, perfect way.

roasted and peeled beets

It’s a super simple, fool proof method and best of all –  no need to peel raw beets. After roasting, the skins just slip right off you won’t believe how easily. Once you try it, I promise roasting will be Continue Reading →

Baked Giant Beans

May 4, 2012 1

This is a fantastic Store Bought Greek Vegan option. Open a can, heat on the stove and you’ve got a hearty, healthy Greek vegan dish in minutes.

giant beans with lemon

My favorite brand is Palirria. Imported from Greece, the beans contain no preservatives. Serve with a wedge of lemon, crusty bread and a glass of white wine for a satisfying, delicious meal in no time at all.

Cans come in one serving and 10 serving sizes. You can also buy by Continue Reading →

Pita Batter Dough

May 1, 2012 15

This is a traditional dough used when you are making pitas or pies stuffed with veggies, greens and other goodies. Different from fillo dough that comes in flaky sheets, batter dough envelopes your pita filling in a light, golden cake.

pita batter dough for squash pies

Perfect with sweet or savory fillings, you’ll find a million ways to use this dough! Continue Reading →

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